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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25744375">My students are better than yours</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asukan/pseuds/Asukan'>Asukan</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Behind the Scenes, Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Study, During Canon, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Genin Teams, Hatake Kakashi Has Issues, Hatake Kakashi is a Good Teacher, Hatake Kakashi is a Troll, Humor, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, Maito Gai is a Good Teacher, Sarutobi Asuma is a Good Teacher, Team Bonding, Team as Family, Yuuhi Kurenai is a Good Teacher, friendly competitions, springtime of youth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:01:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,386</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25744375</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Asukan/pseuds/Asukan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gai is very enthusiastic about his friends Asuma and Kurenai getting their own students after he's had Team Gai for a year. He wants to challenge his friends and their students to a most youthful competition about nurturing the next generation's Will of Fire.</p><p>A scoreboard is set up, with their students' names at the bottom and the sensei's on the top. Whenever their students do something to show their growth as a ninja, their name gets moved up and a note about their accomplishment gets added. </p><p>The other two, Asuma and Kurenai, add their names next to Gai's and those of their students next to that of Team Gai's. </p><p>The friendly competition can begin!</p><p>Then the next day, they see Hatake Kakashi next to their names. He has finally passed a team.</p><p>Hatake Kakashi. With a Genin team.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dai-hachi-han | Team 8 &amp; Yuuhi Kurenai, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 &amp; Hatake Kakashi, Gai-han | Team Guy &amp; Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi &amp; Maito Gai | Might Guy, Hatake Kakashi &amp; Sarutobi Asuma, Hatake Kakashi &amp; Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma &amp; Dai-jippan | Team 10, Sarutobi Asuma/Yuuhi Kurenai</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>39</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>243</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Jōnin of Konoha had never been given an official room to call their own. This obvious oversight hadn’t stopped them from claiming an old room in the T&amp;I building. It wasn't much. But it did have a tiny kitchen running along with one of the walls. The kitchen had a fridge, a stove and, most importantly, a very good coffee machine. An exhausted Jōnin looking for a place to rest had discovered that years ago. It hadn’t taken long before three sofas and a coffee table appeared in the room. Then a few potted plants courtesy of the Yamanaka clan and a fridge that kept being restocked by the Akimichi. These small changes made the room a popular lounge for any Jōnin who wouldn’t mind company for the day. </p><p>The same morning as the latest batch of would-be genins would be tested by their prospective  Jōnin-sensei, Maito Gai entered the room with a bright green corkboard. It was as tall as the doorway and wide enough to almost cover the entire length of the room. He propped it up against the wall with the windows. It blocked out most of the sunlight. Gai removed some instructive posters about torture and human anatomy from the wall opposite the kitchen counters; in their place, he hung the massive and bright green corkboard. Then he reached into one of the many pockets of his Jōnin vest and pulled out four name tags. The tag with his own name was pinned at the very top, while those of his three students ended up at the bottom. He smiled as he stroked his fingers over them.</p><p>_____</p><p>Later that day, Yūhi Kurenai, newly appointed Jōnin-sensei of Team 8, entered the unofficial Jōnin lounge in the search of some of the excellent coffee and was met with something huge on the wall to the right of the room. It was also very, very green. She blinked at it with bleary eyes, but since no one was around to question she ignored it. Instead, she headed for the coffee machine in the corner next to the windows. Leaning against the counter, Kurenai listened to the whirring hum of the machine with her left eye closed against the incessantly bright sun. As soon as the sound stopped she picked up the cup and inhaled the bitter scent. She went over to the fridge to add a splash of milk and downed its content in a few seconds. Then she started up the machine again. </p><p>Armed with a second cup of coffee she went up to the corkboard and saw the name tags on it. Kurenai smiled at the names knowingly before sitting down on the sofa facing away from the windows - and the bright sunshine - to enjoy her coffee with one of Genma’s home-baked cookies. There had been a box of them in the fridge. </p><p>She was working on her third cup and fourth cookie when Sarutobi Asuma entered the room. He smiled in greeting and sunk into the sofa next to her. Then she rolled her eyes as Asuma sighed and put his feet on the coffee table in front of them. He glanced over at her with a smirk. Then he snatched the last of the sugary treat from her grasp while ignoring her glare.</p><p>Asuma got up from the sofa, chuckling, and wandered over to the board.</p><p>"Is this Gai’s newest idea?" Asuma asked, scratching his beard while leaning closer to the board to inspect the name tags. He took a large bite of the treat in his hand, chewed slowly, closed his eyes and hummed. "Oh, these cookies are great!"</p><p>"That I can agree with," Kurenai said as she walked over to the board to inspect it. "Hm, I think Gai’s planning on challenging this year’s genin in some way. Pitching them against ours, maybe?"</p><p>"Not quite, dear Kurenai!" the aforementioned Gai exclaimed from the doorway. They looked his way. Gai could be quiet when he wanted to be. </p><p>Asuma and Kurenai nodded in greeting as Gai made his way to the coffee machine to make himself a cup of green tea. Cup in hand he joined them by the board and smiled at his creation.</p><p>"Now that you and Asuma have your own youthful students, I thought we should keep track of their progress and of our abilities to nurture their Will of Fire as shinobi of Konoha!" </p><p>Gai gestured wildly with his hand; the tea in his cup would have spilt out if it weren’t for his excellent reflexes. He pointed to his name at the very top left. "Our goal in this epic challenge is to have our students surpass their sensei! Each time they do something truly youthful we’ll move that student up a step. We can even pin a comment next to their tag, explaining why we wanted to reward their endeavours!"</p><p>"Why would we want to do that, Gai?" Kurenai asked. "It’s hardly a race!"</p><p>"Of course not, dear Kurenai! But your concern for your students shows that you are an excellent choice to teach the next generation!" Gai turned to her with a thumbs up. "This is not a competition between us! It is simply a way for us to measure the growth of our students!"</p><p>Asuma looked at Kurenai and shrugged. "Eh, why not? Might be fun."</p><p>"That is truly the spirit of youth!" Gai exclaimed, reaching into one of his pockets and pulling out a pile of small paper notes. "I took the liberty of preparing your own tags, Asuma and Kurenai! And those of your most youthful students. Make sure to leave enough room for my Eternal Rival should he pass his team."</p><p>Asuma took the stack, split it and handed Kurenai her half. They went over to the board to pin their names next to Gai’s, and those of their students’ at the bottom. All of them looked at the board for a moment before heading back to the sofas. Kurenai and Asuma sat down in the same one they’d sat in before. Gai jumped over the back of the sofa nearest to the board and sat down in it with a flourish.</p><p>"What’s all this about, then?" Hatake Kakashi asked from an open window, perching on the windowsill. His eye crinkled in a smile when the three turned around to greet him with raised eyebrows. "Ah, I got lost on my way here from meeting with my newest batch of academy graduates."</p><p>"Ah, my Eternal Rival! What did you think of your team?"</p><p>"A group of interesting kids," Kakashi answered as he slipped into the room and headed for the plate of cookies on the table. He picked one up, sniffed it and frowned. He put it down again before slouching down on the armrest next to Gai. "No real teamwork though. I suspect they’ll fail."</p><p>Kakashi shrugged at their frowning faces before twisting around to look at the green monstrosity behind him. He turned back to raise an eyebrow at Gai. "What’s the idea with that corkboard?"</p><p>"A competition to honour our students’ flames of youth! We shall commemorate their triumphs!"</p><p>"You want to keep track of how the kids develop?" </p><p>"I knew you would understand, my Eternal Rival!" Gai exclaimed, leaning over to sling his arm around Kakashi. The man slid out of the grasp in a practised motion. "If you pass your students tomorrow you should add yours too!"</p><p>"Well, we’ll see tomorrow, won’t we?" Kakashi said, raised his hand and gave a quick wave with a flick of his fingers. "See ya!"</p><p>And, with a puff of smoke, he was gone.</p><p>"He’ll never pass them, right?" Kurenai asked, looking at the space Kakashi had just left.</p><p>"My Eternal Rival is indeed very strict."</p><p>Asuma nodded. "No chance with that lineup. Their profiles really don’t match up."</p><p>They, too, flickered away from the room.</p><p>_____</p><p>The next afternoon, a lone figure entered the Jōnin Lounge through one of the windows and strolled up to the corkboard. He pinned four tags to the board with the utmost care, making sure they were all perfectly straight. Then he pulled out a bright orange book and teleported away.</p><p>_____</p><p>Kurenai stepped into the room and held the door open for Gai and Asuma.</p><p>"We could have some joint training sessions in a few months, after the exam," Kurenai said. "They’ll need to learn how to work outside of their own team."</p><p>"Agreed," Asuma said, stroking his beard in thought. "Our two teams will probably be mixed up in the future. Tracking with detainment and interrogation makes for a strong combination."</p><p>"I’d like to borrow Tenten, Gai," Kurenai said. "She’d be a huge help in training Hinata’s defences."<br/><br/>"Of course! I’d be most happy -" Gai stopped, gaping. Then a wide smile spread across his face, his eyes welling with tears. He clutched his hands to his chest. "Oh! My Eternal Rival!"</p><p>The two others followed his gaze and looked at the corkboard. The space which had been left empty yesterday was now occupied by four new name tags.</p><p>They walked closer and looked in mute amazement at the note in the top right corner. The name Hatake Kakashi was written in neat handwriting on the backside of an explosive tag. Three more explosive tags were pinned at the bottom with the names of his genin on them: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto.</p><p>Kurenai tapped Naruto’s tag with a gleaming red-painted fingernail. "I can’t believe he passed a team."</p><p>Asuma whistled, impressed. "Want to come along to spy on their training one of these days?"</p><p>"Of course!” Gai exclaimed, hand on a cocked hip and the other held out in a thumbs up to the empty air. “My hip and cool rival has finally found students worthy of his teachings. I cannot wait to see their youthfulness!"</p><p>"Would Kakashi mind?" Kurenai asked.</p><p>"Don’t think so," Asuma said with a shrug. "It’s not like we’ll be able to hide from him anyway, so why worry about it?"</p><p>"Hide from who?" Kakashi asked from behind them. Once they turned around to greet him he gave them a lazy wave, not looking away from his book. He was leaning against the back of the sofa with his feet crossed at the ankles.</p><p>"My Eternal Rival! How long have you been in here?"</p><p>"Hm? I just got here."</p><p>"I see you passed your students, Kakashi," Asuma said. "What happened?"</p><p>"Eh, they showed abysmal teamwork in my first test," he said, turning a page. "But Sasuke and Sakura gave Naruto lunch despite me telling them they’d instantly fail if they did."</p><p>"So you tricked them twice over?" Kurenai asked as she went to make herself a cup of coffee.</p><p>"Of course! A ninja must see underneath the underneath."</p><p>"What do you think of your youthful students?" Gai asked as he leaned against the sofa next to his dear rival. "What do they need to improve on before they can fully embrace the Springtime of Youth?"</p><p>"Naruto charged in straight ahead and fell for obvious traps," Kakashi said, still reading. "Sakura cared more for Sasuke’s well-being than that of Naruto’s. And Sasuke is arrogant and convinced that his teammates are useless."</p><p>Gai hummed, rubbing a hand over his chin before grinning with shining teeth. "And their strengths?"<br/><br/>"Sasuke was able to pull off a decently sized fireball and did manage to trap an area beforehand. And Sakura has great chakra control for her age as she managed to almost suppress her presence unconsciously. And Naruto..." Kakashi trailed off, chuckling.</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>"Well, the idiot has ridiculous chakra reserves, of course. Aside from that he refused to give in and showed some cunning."</p><p>"Uzumaki Naruto, huh," Asuma said, looking at the name on the board.</p><p>"Hm?"</p><p>"I never expected that one to ever graduate," said Asuma. "Given, ah, everything."</p><p>Kakashi turned another page.</p><p>"I have faith in Hokage-sama and his decision," Kurenai said. "Leaving a Jinchuuriki unsupervised and not teaching it control is dangerous."</p><p>Kakashi’s eye briefly flicked up from his book to look at her.</p><p>Gai glanced over his way. Then he nodded determinedly. "Young Naruto's Will of Fire burns brightly from what I have heard of his youthful exploits and his graduation. It will be an honour to see him grow."</p><p>"You're not worried, Gai?" said Kurenai with a frown. "So far all Jinchuuriki seals have been notoriously unstable."</p><p>"You doubt Yondaime's ability?" Asuma glanced in Kakashi's direction. "He was a seal master unlike any before him."</p><p>"No, of course not," she replied, frowning. "But I also remember the Kyuubi in my nightmares."</p><p>Asuma nodded. "We all do."</p><p>"Maa, Sensei wasn't too shabby with seals and he studied those by Uzushiogakure," said Kakashi with a lazy shrug. "Besides, there are fail-safes in place."</p><p>_____</p><p>Kurenai leaned against the counter and looked at the board in front of her with a raised eyebrow. There was a senbon sticking out right underneath her name tag. Sunlight gleamed off its sharp point. Someone had tied a note to it. A drop of an unknown liquid had soaked into the paper. </p><p>She glanced out the window and took in the sunshine, the singing birds and the lack of any human presence. Kurenai frowned and walked up to the windows. Her eyes narrowed a fraction, glancing around. A quick hand sign and a muttered word later, and she relaxed.                                                                                                                                         </p><p>"Why are you checking for genjutsu?" a voice rang out from a nearby tree. Startled, she looked around but before she could spot the person outside, Kakashi was sitting on top of the counter next to the coffee machine. He was holding a dog-eared Icha Icha book in his hand.</p><p>"Genma left me a note."</p><p>"So that’s why I smelled poison," Kakashi said, following her gaze. Then his eye slid over to where he had pinned his name tags the day before. "Seems like people left notes for both of us." </p><p>They went up to the board to investigate their respective notes. Kurenai untied the note and threw the weapon into the sink behind them. She unrolled the paper slowly, making sure to avoid the stain: "The box was labelled. You owe me dango."</p><p>Meanwhile, Kakashi had removed the pieces of paper which someone had put up instead of his explosive tags. He fished out a pen from his vest pocket and wrote down a name on each, using his book for support. Then he pinned his tag where its predecessors had been. The rest ended up just a tiny bit higher than they’d been the day before. Kakashi then removed the note which had caught his attention at first: "Please don’t leave live ordnance in the Jōnin Lounge, Hatake-san."</p><p>The faint lines around his eye crinkled in a smile. He tore off a piece from the note, scrawled something on it and stuck it right next to his students’ tags. </p><p>"How was their first mission, Kakashi?"</p><p>"The note says it best."</p><p>Kurenai glanced down and smiled while she read Kakashi’s comment out loud. "They didn’t kill each other while weeding a garden."</p><p>_____</p><p><br/>The next day the name Uzumaki Naruto had been moved up a tiny bit with a note pinned to the side of the board. "He gave me a plant and a hand-drawn card. It had dogs on it." </p><p>The note itself had a doodle of a scarecrow on it.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A citizen of Konoha could say many things about the  Jōnin of their village. They were their fiercest defenders, the inspiration for many of their children, very bad neighbours if you didn't enjoy having them pop by in the middle of the night to borrow things and, most importantly, very competitive. While the Challenges between Maito Gai and Hatake Kakashi was this phenomenon taken to its ultimate form, it was not the only eccentric behaviour Konoha should expect out of their elite ninja. Having the highest cumulative bounty in all the villages' Bingo books was, for example, a coveted honour that Hatake Kakashi had claimed years ago. The latest version of Iwa's Bingo Book had recently been printed, but this was not the topic of conversation this Tuesday morning.</p><p>"I am not sure that bragging about gifts that our students give us is suitable for the board," Asuma said and blew a smoke ring.<br/><br/>Kakashi shifted his Icha Icha closer to his nose. "Is this because your cute little minions haven’t given you anything yet, Asuma?"<br/><br/>"Fuck off, Kakashi," Asuma replied, blowing the smoke in Kakashi's direction this time. "What does giving you a plant tell us about their growth as shinobi?"<br/><br/>The Copy Nin took a deep breath and blew away the smoke with enough force to knock down some posters on the opposite wall. "It tells us that Naruto values his comrades."<br/><br/>"You moved his name up because of the card, didn’t you?"<br/><br/>"The dogs on it were very cute."</p><p>"You realise that I have to see this, Kakashi?"</p><p>Kakashi slipped a card out from his book and held it out for Asuma. The other man took it and looked down at the smiling dogs on the front. It was clearly hand-drawn, the brush strokes careful but shaky, and the orange background made it clear who had drawn it. Asuma smiled and flipped it open. He squinted at the poor handwriting and the messy scribblings over some of it that tried and failed to hide the words underneath. Then he glanced up at the blushing face of the infamous Kakashi of the Sharingan, who had in fact gotten the highest bounty once more by a few million and the recommended order to <em> "Flee on sight" </em>, and did his best to read the chicken scratches.</p><p><em> I wanted to get you something for </em> <strike><em> actually seeing </em></strike><em>being</em><em> so cool, Kakashi-sensei!  </em></p><p>
  <strike> <em> No one ever </em> </strike>
</p><p>
  <strike> <em> You're the first </em> </strike>
</p><p>
  <em> Look after Ukki-kun, sensei. It's gonna be an awesome plant. Just give him some time! </em>
</p><p>
  <em> p.s.Thanks for getting me vegetables. Even if you were mean for making me eat anything less delicious than ramen. Iruka-sensei told me I should be more grateful, so there.  </em>
</p><p>Asuma, who also had a huge bounty which was, in fact, a close second to Kakashi's, took a shaky breath. He coughed once and then smiled, nodding.</p><p>"No, you're right. The dogs are adorable."</p><p>Kakashi held out a hand. Asuma handed the card over and watched as Kakashi folded it close with careful hands, slipped it between two pages of his book and put the novel away in his weapon pouch.</p><p>_____<br/><br/></p><p>"Gai, I have to apologise for any joke I ever told about it being easy to lead a team of genin," Asuma said, as he sank down on the nearest sofa with a deep sigh. "Were we ever so childish?"</p><p>"Are your new genin students not showing true youthfulness, Asuma?" Gai asked as he made them both a cup of tea. Green for him, black for Asuma. When he saw Kurena enter the room as well he smiled and started on a cup of coffee for her.</p><p>Asuma lit a cigarette and breathed in deeply,</p><p>"Heh," a long exhale of smoke. "Childishness is more like it. They show none of the teamwork expected out of their clan jutsu. I don't even know if they like each other."</p><p>"My dear Asuma," Gai said, eyebrows furrowed in disappointment, "you know we have regulations against smoking in public rooms."<br/><br/>Asuma sighed and rolled his eyes, but put the cigarette out.</p><p>Kurenai sank down next to him and stretched out her legs. "What do you mean, Asuma? I didn't sense any animosity between them."</p><p>"But no closeness either, Kurenai," Asuma said, with a wan smile. "Ino wants to focus on boys, Shikamaru on the clouds and Chōji on his food. While the boys are somewhat close, it's more like a loyal follower and his leader, not equals. I don't know if Shikamaru would take a suggestion by Chōji seriously."</p><p>Kurenai patted his knee with a smirk on her painted lips. It widened as Asuma glanced over at her mouth. "As a Nara, he'll be the strategist of the team though."</p><p>"But taking in input from others will still be important," Asuma replied, scratching his beard. "It's not like Chōji is a fool just because he's not as intelligent as Shikamaru."</p><p>"Ah, I see," Gai said, looking thoughtful as he handed Asuma his tea. He then turned to Kurenai with a cup of black coffee. "And you, Kurenai?"</p><p>"Aburame Shino keeps to himself and seems to intimidate his teammates," she said with a shrug. "Inuzuka Kiba is only close to Akamaru and Hyuga Hinata suffers from cripplingly low self-esteem. I have some work cut out for me."</p><p>"We all do," Asuma said with a sigh. "How’s your team doing, Gai?"</p><p>"Their teamwork is most youthful and so is their determination!" Gai said with a proud smile and made two more cups of tea. "We completed our tenth C-rank today."<br/><br/>"I envy you, Gai," Asuma said. "I detest D-ranks. I had forgotten how boring they are."</p><p>Kurenai laughed at that. "It's been a while since we were in charge of returning lost cats or weeding gardens."</p><p>"What’s this about cats?" The voice of Hatake Kakashi said from the open window.<br/><br/>"Rival!" Gai exclaimed, walking up to his eternal rival and handing him one of the cups he was carrying. "How are you liking your return to D-ranks?"</p><p>"I wouldn't know much about D ranks," Kakashi said with a shrug, accepting the tea after sniffing it. "I am having fun torturing my genin during their missions though."</p><p>That made Asuma turn around with an excited gleam to his eyes. "Oh?"</p><p>"Apparently a bit too much, I hear," Kurenai said. </p><p>Kakashi looked like the picture of innocence as he clambered through the window without spilling a drop of the steaming beverage. "Whatever do you mean, Kurenai"</p><p>"I heard that Naruto demanded a C-rank from the Hokage himself. After shouting in his face in public."</p><p>"Ah," Asuma chuckled. "Dad's relationship with Naruto has always been rather relaxed. He used to visit him personally once a month. To hand out rent money, I believe."</p><p>"I was expecting someone to yell at me for not enforcing more discipline in them if I'm honest," Kakashi said, sinking down on the empty couch and leaned against the armrest. Gai sat down as well, back ramrod straight. </p><p>"Hah!” Asuma said. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, Kakashi! I think dad likes him that way. Else he wouldn't let him at it. Look at what he did to the Hokage monument a few weeks back. Or how he apparently didn't get punished for stealing the Scroll of Sealing."</p><p>Kurenai looked up at that. "I've been curious. How did an academy student manage?"</p><p>Asuma gave a thoughtful hum. "Dad wouldn't tell me," he replied, before glancing over at Kakashi. "So first-ever C-rank for your kids. What is it?"</p><p>"An escort mission to Wave. The client already managed to piss off Naruto, of course."</p><p>Gai gave a boisterous laugh and smacked Kakashi’s shoulder with what was to him, friendly affection. The Copy Ninja allowed himself to topple sideways at the force but shifted his foot and hips to swing back again like a pendulum.</p><p>"Looks like you'll have a good time, rival!"</p><p>___</p><p>A lone figure clambered through the window. The man went up to the board and looked at it with two eyes, one black and one red. Then he slid his hitai-ate down over his glowing red eye, took two pieces of paper from a nearby pile and started writing. The first note was short, one sentence. He moved all of his students' tags up a tiny step and pinned the note to a string next to the spot he moved them all up to.</p><p>Then it was time for the second paper. This page filled up quickly, messily. He took a look at it again, burnt it with a quick burst of lightning and started anew. This time he wrote slower, more contained. This note was pinned to the board. Finally, he moved one of his students up further than the rest with his one visible eye curled into a smile.</p><p>___</p><p>There was a bit of a commotion in the  Jōnin lounge the following morning. Three people stood crowded by the huge green board at the wall and looked at two little papers that had been pinned to it recently.</p><p>Once Hatake Kakashi showed up with a lazy slouch and eye in his book, the whispers quieted and his comrades turned to look at him at once.</p><p>"Fucking hell, Hatake!" The quiet didn't last long as Genma stared at the taller man in astonishment. "Their first A rank? Wasn't their last one capturing that damned cat that always escapes?"</p><p>Kakashi shrugged. "The client omitted the little fact that the business mogul Gato was after him and had hired assassins."</p><p>A murmur went through the ranks and everyone relaxed. A lying client was nothing new and nothing that would reflect badly on the village itself.</p><p>"What sort of assassins?" Asuma asked, lifting a brow.</p><p>"We met the Demon Brothers first," Kakashi said, sitting down on the sofa opposite the corkboard. He smiled at his three comrades standing in front of it, and then switched his focus to his book again. "Then we met the infamous Momochi Zabuza."</p><p>Kurenai tensed a bit. "The Demon of the Hidden Mist?" A quick nod from Kakashi had her frown. "I’ve encountered him in the past. My squad had to flee. What happened?"</p><p>"We fought and I got captured," Kakashi said with a casual shrug. "Naruto was particularly clever in his use of shadow clones and henge to get me out."</p><p>"He can use Shadow Clones?" Genma asked, and moved to sit down next to Kakashi. "I thought it was just a rumour."</p><p>Kakashi chuckled and leaned back on the sofa, still with most of his attention on the book in his lap. "Oh no, he can."</p><p>"How many?" Genma asked, leaning closer to sneak a peek in the book.</p><p>"I've seen him over ten or so at once," Kakashi answered, angling his book away from prying eyes. "He can make and sustain more than that while still being able to fight."</p><p>Genma whistled. "What a little monster!"</p><p>"No surprise though," Kurenai murmured.  "Given his, ah, situation."</p><p>Asuma nodded with a thoughtful frown on his face. "Indeed."</p><p>"What happened between Naruto and Zabuza? That note of yours..." Asuma sighed and shook his head. "Dammit, Kakashi. What does 'He turned a demon human and a tool into a boy and found his ninja way' even mean?"</p><p>Kakashi turned a page and didn’t look up as he drawled out the reply. "Naruto didn't like Zabuza's behaviour so he had some words with him."</p><p>"You're bullshitting us," Genma said and kicked out at Kakashi’s shin with no great success as Kakashi sat on the opposite sofa a split second later, still reading. Genma’s foot connected with an embroidered throw pillow instead.</p><p>"No," Kakashi said, smiling. "I am not."</p><p>Genma flipped him off and spat a senbon at him, which Kakashi dodged neatly. It lodged itself into the corkboard through Neji’s name tag. "What did he do, talk him to death?" </p><p>"He talked to him and then Zabuza killed Gato, before dying from injuries sustained from my previous battle with him," Kakashi said and crossed a leg over the other. "And, of course, Gato's small army."</p><p>"What the fuck sort of escort mission was this?"</p><p>"Oh yeah," Kakashi replied in a flat voice. "Gato had an army of mercenaries on the bridge. They showed up later."</p><p>"Did you kill all the mercenaries?" Kurenai asked as she went over to the coffee machine. </p><p>"Nope," Kakashi replied. "Not a single one, actually. There was no need."</p><p>She put her favourite cup on the little tray, pressed the appropriate buttons for an extra-strong cup and turned around, leaning against the counter. "What happened?"</p><p>Asuma sat down next to Kakashi and nudged his side. "Did Naruto talk them into being nice as well?"</p><p>"Almost, but not quite."</p><p>"The actual fuck, Kakashi," Genma sighed. "What happened then?"</p><p>"You won’t believe me," Kakashi warned.<br/><br/>"Try us, Kakashi!"<br/><br/>"Well, Naruto inspired the bridge builder's grandson Inari and Inari, in turn, inspired the people of the village so they showed up to fight."</p><p>Asuma, Kurenai and Genma all blinked at that.</p><p>"Are you sure this isn't the plot of one of those novels of yours, Kakashi?" Asuma asked, with a raised brow. </p><p>"Let's just say I'm not looking forward to writing this report."</p><p>"Just say 'My student managed to inspire an entire village and turn a demon into a friend through the power of youth'. as Gai would put it."</p><p>"Gai would adore Naruto, wouldn't he?" Kurenai said, stroking her chin to hide her grin at Kakashi’s horrified face. </p><p>Asuma didn’t even try to hide his answering smirk. "Imagine Uzumaki in a jumpsuit."</p><p>"Don't you dare corrupt my genin, Asuma."</p><p>_____</p><p>The following day, Maito Gai was leading Hakate Kakashi into the room with a hand on his rival’s shoulder. As they walked into the empty room, Gai locked the door behind them and glanced at the closed windows on the opposite wall. With a gentle shove, Kakashi fell sprawling into one sofa as Gai sat down on the other one.</p><p>"My eternal rival, what happened in Wave?" The normally exuberant man’s face was serious and his voice was calm.</p><p>Kakashi sighed. "Ah, Gai."</p><p>"Was it that bad?" Gai asked, leaning forward.</p><p>"I honestly don't know where to start."</p><p>Gai wandered over to the coffee machine to make two cups of tea. "A C-rank turned A-rank and against a most lethal opponent would be a stress on most youthful minds. How are your students?"</p><p>Kakashi rubbed a hand over his visible eye. Then he removed his hitai-ate and scratched at the scar underneath the Sharingan that glowed a dull red in the bright light. "Sasuke awakened his Sharingan. Sakura seems fine, if a bit withdrawn. And Naruto..."</p><p>"What of the boy?"</p><p>"The Kyuubi..."</p><p>Gai stiffened and looked at his rival in astonishment. Then he frowned and said, disappointment clear in his voice. "You know he is not the demon."</p><p>Kakashi straightened up at that. Shook his head, the silver hair swaying unhindered and hiding his face from view briefly. "Ah. I meant that the Kyuubi's chakra came out."</p><p>"But Naruto was still in control?" Gai asked, bushy eyebrows furrowed but with his shoulders more relaxed.</p><p>"Not really,” Kakashi sighed, running a hand through his hair before retying the headband. “But he returned to his senses once he recognised his enemy. Sasuke had been wounded to save Naruto and Naruto thought him dead. That’s what triggered it. That chakra, Gai. It was just like back then. I was sure that the Kyuubi had broken loose and that I’d lost- that Naruto was gone."</p><p>"And then?"</p><p>"He was so fast,” Kakashi said, staring blankly ahead. “Haku, the ice boy, had managed to avoid all hits at the start. But after Kyuubi's chakra leaked out Naruto was pure, unstoppable rage. I realise now that Minato-sensei must have designed the seal in a way to allow for Naruto to draw on the chakra. It's clever. As long as Naruto can control it."</p><p>"Do you think he'll be corrupted?"</p><p>Kakashi looked away. “If he does I am…”</p><p>“Kakashi?”<br/><br/>The silver-haired man shook his head slowly. "No, no I don’t think so. He is so very stubborn. And so very good. Good in a way that seems implausible, Gai. Someone with his childhood..."</p><p>Gai nodded, face solemn. "The village failed him. In a most unfaithful display we abandoned one of our own."</p><p>"I failed-"</p><p>"No,” Gai said, with the slow certainty of a tree steadily growing. “You were fourteen, Kakashi. If anyone failed him it was Sandaime-sama. His status as the Jinchūriki should not have been revealed to the general public. It does not do to dwell on the past. He is truly a leaf of Konoha. We must do our best to support his growth."</p><p>"Yes. You are right."</p><p>"It would be an honour to have a student with such a strong spirit as young Naruto-kun. You are fortunate, rival."</p>
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